A Player's Guide to Tapestry
This page will be a home for more detailed, thought-provoking essays about getting the most from one's Tapestry experience, intended for brand-new players and seasoned veterans alike. For quick answers to specific questions, please visit the F.A.Q. Introduction *Have you ever longed to play a specific type of Star Wars character, but had to abandon the idea because it didn't fit into your group's concept, or your Gamemaster's campaign? *Have you ever wanted to join a large, sprawling online game, but held back, because you knew you might not be able to stick with it indefinitely? *Have you ever wanted to play in an RPG that allows you to go where you want, and do what you like? Then Star Wars: Tapestry may be for you! Star Wars: Tapestry is an online, play-by-post roleplaying game with no maximum player limit, and no restrictions on what types of characters its players can portray. While many Star Wars games discourage evil characters, for instance (and with good reason), such characters are welcomed and desired in Tapestry, as are 'lone-wolf' scouts and bounty hunters, droids of all kinds, young characters, elderly characters, and non-combatants of every stripe. In Tapestry, a character's worth is not necessarily defined by their prowess in combat (though such characters certainly have their place), but by how interesting they are. When you join the galaxy of Tapestry, you'll be entering into a game filled with many other fascinating, player-controlled characters, each with their own unique agendas, needs, and desires. Without a GM, the players are free to improvise numerous engaging, adventure-filled stories together, on-the-fly, where the plot threads weave into and out of each other at will... a tapestry. For instance, maybe you'd like to play a lone Ithorian xenoarcheologist on a planet in the Outer Rim, digging for evidence of an ancient civilization. So you just go ahead and do it. Shortly afterward, perhaps someone who's been reading your posts decides he likes your story, and wants to get involved. So he decides that maybe that civilization is not so ancient after all, and assumes the role of one of its citizens, who wants (or doesn't want) his people discovered by the galaxy at large. Then, maybe another reader decides to create a rival archeologist, who'd like to beat your Ithorian to the prize, by any means necessary? Maybe another character would like to play an Imperial Moff, who wants to deliver this lost civilization to the Emperor, as slave labour?   And meanwhile, there are many other characters scattered over several star systems, whose stories have nothing to do with this one... or, at least, not yet. This is the kind of breadth and scope possible in Star Wars: Tapestry. The Rules Despite the size and scope of Tapestry, the game actually has only three specific rules; they are as follows: 1. You may have only one principal character. This character is you. Any other characters you bring into the game are NPCs (Non-Player Characters), and though you're encouraged to flesh them out, they are not protected by the same rules as your principal character. Said NPCs must be with your principal character - no cutting to another star system to see how 'Strike Team B' is doing! 2. You may make a maximum of one post per day. There is no minimum. If you want to take a month off, that's fine... but don't be surprised if the galaxy carries on without you! Having a maximum of one post per day ensures that all players around you will have a fair chance to contribute to the action, while still allowing the more active players to keep things moving at a good pace. 3. You may not kill another player's character. Only they may choose when (or if) to die. Their equipment and NPC allies, however, are not protected by this rule (though the onus is on you to be tasteful and realistic about this - if your nemesis flies a beloved space transport, it shouldn't be blown to smithereens when you throw a rock at it... use your best judgement, and remember: the other players are watching. Playing the Game Grouping Up When playing the game, you're going to want to join up with other players (after all, playing completely solo kind of defeats the purpose of joining a game like this). Inevitably, the temptation arises to go wherever 'all the players' are. After all, one might suppose, the greatest variety of opportunities will be available with the greatest number of players. In actuality, the opposite can happen. It's been found that, when a large number of players converge in the same location, a sort of 'Tapestry-itis' may occur, where play slows almost to a standstill. It seems that, possibly intimidated by the responsibility of directing the action of a large a number of players (and their inevitable posse of NPCs), players will stop posting entirely, and wait for someone else to take the reins. This can hurt the game! Though it's not an exact science, it seems that groups of two to three PCs seem to enjoy the most prolific, rapid-fire action. So, if you want fast-paced action and freedom, consider joining a solo player, or a very small group - they'll be glad you did! Metagaming/Godmoding Making the Game Great Player's Guide to Tapestry, A